Paddy Comyn is the head of group communications for Volkswagen, author of two super-cute children’s book, and superdad to little Noah, aged 5. We caught up with him on his thoughts about fatherhood.
What’s it like to be a little boy’s total hero?!
“1. Children are a reflection of your state of mind. Your kids are like little mirrors to your soul. If you are happy and jolly, they will be too. If you are angry and stressed – guess what? They will be too. They are soul-sponges, remember that.
2. Suddenly, everything is dangerous. I would have considered myself pretty laid back and not overly panicked by things. However, all this changed when you have a child. There are potential hazards everywhere, and I’ll be damned if they are going to get my boy!
3. Your kids can get as over-stimulated as you are. All of our brains are frazzled thanks to social media, work, too many e-mails. Let’s not do the same to our children – just yet. Keep the screen time to a minimum and ask yourself are you just giving them that so you have more time to indulge your addiction to information?
4. Your children can teach you something every day. Your kids are like you before life got to you. They are a pure, DNA cocktail of the parents that make them, free from environmental toxins, and they can remind you of how you started off. Don’t dismiss what you can learn from them.
5. There is always time to make memories. Your kids will remember the silly song you made up, the time to tried to make pizza, the walks on the beach, the cuddles on the couch. Just make sure you make time to make those memories.
6. Your kids aren’t perfect, thankfully. Let’s not try and correct everything. Are you perfect? No, I didn’t think so.
7. It is the purest form of love you will ever know. And that really needs no explanation.”
Paddy Comyn has written books for Jellycat toys and together with Irish illustrator Barry Sheehan have written two books, The Magic Bunny and My Bunny Loves Me. The Magic Bunny is now available here.
